PMB Rentals, LLC v. Schultz, James

Case Background

On July 11, 2022, PMB Rentals, LLC filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Dimitrios Elias Psaras and his attorney, James J. Schultz. The complaint included claims of statutory theft, fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of contract, and covenant of good faith and dealing.

The case was filed in the Connecticut State, Superior Court, New Britain Judicial Division. Judges Eric Smith, Joseph Shortall, Kimberly Knox, and Lisa Morgan presided over this case.[Case number: HHB-CV22-5031853-S]

Cause

PMB Rentals, LLC ("PMB") was an active Tennessee Limited Liability Company with its corporate address at 1075 Mineral Wells Ave, Paris, Tennessee. It was legally registered to do business in Connecticut and specialized in renting-to-own portable sheds. PMB operates in multiple states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and others. The company partnered with shed manufacturers and sales lots to offer rent-to-own options for customers, allowing them to pay a reduced first month's rent and enter into an agreement to receive a shed. PMB then paid the shed manufacturer the full purchase price, thereby acquiring ownership of the shed. In April 2021, Tim Boyd, the owner and president of PMB, was contacted by Dimitrios Elias Psaras (also known as "Jim Psaras"), a Connecticut resident. Psaras proposed a business relationship, claiming he had acquired 17 sheds and two hauling trailers from a retiring couple and was starting a business called Quality Shed Rentals in Connecticut and Massachusetts. He sought PMB’s rent-to-own services for his customers. Between April and September 2021, Psaras and Boyd communicated to establish the relationship. On September 13, 2021, Boyd and his team had a call with Psaras and his attorney, James J. Schultz, to discuss the rent-to-own proposal. Schultz, a Connecticut attorney with a long-standing relationship with Psaras, assured PMB that funds would be handled through his account. Defendant Schultz had previously represented Psaras in various legal matters, including criminal cases.